The Ultimate of Cool
by Secret52
Summary: Sanada is captain of the wrestling team and wants to date Yukimura. This is an AU. Gift for Knis. BL!


**WARNING: This is an AU. Nothing is as it seems.**

**This is a gift for Knis just because I love Knis's Alpha Pair stories. The End.**

* * *

_**The Ultimate of**_** Cool**

"You could go out with _any_ girl or guy in the entire school! Why would you want to go out with… with… what's his name?" grilled Niou Masaharu.

"Yukimura Seiichi," Yagyuu Hiroshi volunteered when Sanada Genichirou didn't respond.

"Yeah, that's him."

Sanada shook his head, bending over to tie his converse. "Shut up, guys."

"You're captain of the wrestling team, Sanada. You have an image to maintain. Yukimura is not the kind of guy who has the right, uh, _look_," Niou continued.

Sanada stood up, stomping his feet a little to straighten his pant legs. He stood in front of the mirror that was hanging in his locker and combed his hair.

"Why don't you ask Tezuka Kunimitsu out?" Yagyuu suggested.

"Or Fuji Shuuske?" added Niou.

Marui Bunta held up his hand and ticked off on his fingers, "Or An Tachibana, Takahisa Kajimoto, or Yuushi Oshitari. Now _those_ are hotties that fit the image!" He elbowed Niou, who grinned knowingly.

"I _said_ shut up," Sanada said, sounding more than a little irritated at this whole conversation. "I want to go out with Yukimura."

"_Why_?" asked Niou, amazed. "He doesn't know how to dress, doesn't know how to look you in the eye, and doesn't even know how to spell his own name."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Sanada asked, his comb poised, his dark eyes spitting daggers in the direction of his friends.

"Who ever heard of Yukimura Seiichi spelled with two I's?"

"That's not even worth an answer," Sanada said.

"Come on, Sanada," Marui pleaded. "The name of the game is wrestling…."

"Yeah, wrestling in the back seat," snickered Niou.

"Plenty of them willing," Yagyuu added. "Why waste your time on Yukimura? No matter how the name is spelled, he wouldn't be willing to even ponder the ceiling of your car."

"You're all a bunch of jerks," Sanada muttered, slipping his comb in his pocket and yanked his black cap onto his head. He pushed through the crowd of sweaty and showered bodies out of the locker room and into the sunshine.

If he had looked back he would have been puzzled at seeing his three friends giving each other high-fives and triumphant looks.

Niou grinned. "Think they'll get together."

"Definitely," Yagyuu affirmed and Marui popped his bubble gum contentedly.

* * *

Sanada jammed his hands into his pockets and walked across the quad to the cafeteria. His brows drew together, wondering how he was going to persuade Yukimura to go out with him. He didn't understand Yukimura's hesitance to speak with him… his almost antagonistic responses to him.

Balancing a loaded tray, he dodged speeding students and looked for an empty place at a table. He was so angry with his friends that he preferred to eat alone.

In the far corner of the cafeteria, two boys sat surrounded by empty places. As Sanada eased his tray onto the table and himself in the chair across from Yukimura, a dark look crossed the blunette's face. "Hi, Yukimura. Hi, Renji."

Yanagi Renji smiled. "Hello, Genichirou."

Yukimura looked down at his food, his soft wavy hair barely missing a spot in the mashed potatoes.

"I was hoping we could talk," Sanada said, looking at Yukimura.

"About what?" he snapped, with fire in his eyes.

"I, uh, I'd like to get to know you better," Sanada offered.

"Of course you would."

Sanada looked at the blunette as he placed cartons of milk in a line on the table. "I really would."

"Look, I'm not stupid. I've had it with you guys making a fool out of me, and I won't fall for it again." With that, Yukimura picked up his tray and walked away.

In loyalty to his best friend, Yanagi also picked up his tray and stood to follow him. But before he left, he bent down and whispered to Sanada, "Don't worry, Genichirou, it's not just you. It's all teenage males."

"Why?"

"Later." Yanagi slipped him a piece of paper, and then walked away without looking back.

Sanada opened the paper. It had a phone number on it. He sighed, then ate his lunch alone.

* * *

That night Sanada called the number Yanagi had given him, hoping Yukimura would answer.

Yanagi answered the phone. "Oh," Sanada said, disappointed. "I thought you gave me Yukimura's number."

"Don't even joke like that. Are you insane? There is a 100% chance that he would kill me. He'd kill me if he knew I was talking to you now."

"So why _do_ you want to talk to me?"

"I want to explain about Seiichi."

"So, go ahead," Sanada encouraged, a little anxiously and very curious.

"He hates most guys and especially popular guys because he thinks they're all out to hurt him."

"Why?"

"Look at him."

"I think he's cute," Sanada half-muttered.

"No, you don't. He's not cute. He's plain and simple, looks to pale, and doesn't know how to fix his wavy hair. And his clothes are atrocious."

Sanada was silent for a moment. "Why are you his friend if you don't like him?"

"I didn't say I don't like him," Yanagi said. "I'm just pointing out the data and facts from a male suitor's perspective. I wouldn't date Yukimura because it would make him uncomfortable and we're just fine with being best friends. He's actually a wonderful person."

"Not all guys are alike. I happen to think he's cute. I like his smile. I like his honesty. I've heard him stand up for his opinions. He's not afraid of what the teacher or anyone else thinks. I want to get to know him better."

Yanagi's voice relaxed. "Very well, you pass."

"Pass what?"

"My inspection. I wanted to know what you _really_ wanted before I give you the scoop."

Sanada smiled. "Ok, so scoop it out."

"Before Yukimura came to our school he was in and out of the hospital. He had a fatal disease that couldn't be cured here in Japan and he had to leave to America for a year. But before he left for that, he was asked to the Sophomore Dance."

"He was a freshman then, right?"

"Yes. It was his first date ever. His name was Atobe Keigo, and he was a forward on the basketball team. He bought a gorgeous blue tux that matched his hair and eyes on his parents' limited budget, had his hair done, and mom and dad snapped pictures at his every move. At the dance, they walked in and his date turned to him and said, 'You're on your own.' Then he started laughing and go high-fives from all his friends. It was a joke. A dare."

Sanada clenched his teeth. "How could he?!"

Yanagi continued. "Seiichi held his head high and stayed the whole evening. But no one asked him to dance. Everyone clung in little groups, whispering, pointing, and laughing."

Sanada shook his head. "No wonder he hates me. I'm just another jock."

"Ever since his family came back from America, he's been having trouble getting used to Japan again. I guess its called culture shock. And bad memories have made him clam up even more."

Now Sanada was beginning to understand. But that still didn't answer the question that was the key to the whole situation. "How can I get him to trust me?"

"I don't know and I'm not going to help you."

"Thanks a lot," Sanada said sarcastically.

"I think you're telling the truth, but I'm not going to take the chance that someone is going to hurt him that badly again," Yanagi explained. "I've only known him for five months. I'm not going to risk our friendship for anyone."

Sanada hung up the phone and tried to think of what he could do to convince Yukimura he wasn't like the guy who hurt him. He couldn't think of any solutions.

* * *

Two weeks passed without Sanada even being able to say "hello" to Yukimura. He watched the blunette from a distance, noticing how he smiled when he talked with the English teacher or Yanagi. He seemed so gentle when he tutored students in the quad. How could he break through the younger male's barriers?

Every Tuesday and Thursday after wrestling practice, Sanada drove his beat-up Toyota to a small brick building ten blocks from school. There, he became "Sanada-sempai" to a handful of the most hyper-active kids he had ever known. Most of them had ADD or the type of attention span that wouldn't let them attend public school. Many of them had violent tendencies that wouldn't allow them to be safe in public schools either.

Sanada never told anyone where he went Tuesdays and Thursdays. He didn't need the glory or ridicule. Besides, it was another image-breaker for the wrestling team's captain. He didn't feel he should have to explain to a bunch of jerks who thought they knew what life was all about why he volunteered his love and commitment to these kids.

On Thursday, Sanada had three of the kids rounded up in a game of wrestling. Akaya, Ryoma, and Kintaro were all against him but he could easily beat them no matter how hard they tried. These three were the clingiest towards him and he didn't mind. They looked up to him almost like puppies and Sanada loved teaching them how to wrestle. Oddly, their second favorite thing to do was go out to the back of the building and play tennis. _Maybe they'd be pro tennis players some day_, he mused.

As he played with the kids, Sanada sensed someone was close by, behind him. A parent maybe. Or a teacher. The room was always alive with the sounds of kids at play, learning, or singing. Sanada had learned to tune it out and concentrate on the kids he was with. He finished the wrestling match with his kids before helping them up and straightening their clothes.

When he finished, Akaya hugged him fiercly around the waist. "I love you, Sanada-sempai!" The three of them took of in a game of chase and left Sanada smiling softly after them.

"Sanada," a soft voice called him from behind. He turned to see Yukimura standing behind him.

His face flushed and he backed up, stammering, " I, uh… I'm just here today, helping out. Why're you h-here?"

"My cousin goes here. Her mom couldn't pick her up today and asked if I'd do it." Yukimura smiled the same as he did when he talked to the English teacher. "I didn't know, Sanada…."

"You've got it all wrong," he said, stumbling, embarrassed, afraid he'd become the newest nerd in the school if anyone found out. "I'm just filling in for, uh, my mom," he lied.

He turned and walked away quickly, finding a group of kids, including Akaya, spreading paint all over glossy paper with their fingers and hands. He squatted down and joined in.

Moments later, the director, with Yukimura standing beside her, walked over to where Sanada was entertaining the children. "Sanada, I would like to introduce you to Yukimura Seiichi," she said, smirking. "He's new here and goes to your school. It would be nice if you would maybe show him around town."

Sanada just stared.

The director continued, "I have two extra tickets to a concert next week. I'll give them to you if you promise to take Yukimura. Show him around, help him feel comfortable and reacquainted to this crazy environment called Japan."

"Uh," Sanada mumbled, glancing at Yukimura, ready to see fire in his eyes again. Instead, he saw his gleeful smile spreading over his whole face. "Yeah, I guess I could."

"Great." The director smiled at them and returned to her duties.

Sanada looked at Yukimura. "Are you sure you really want to go with a jock? You don't have to."

"As long as I'm going with 'Sanada-sempai,' it will be a pleasure." With that, Yukimura took his cousin in his lap and sat at the table, dipping his fingers into the blue paint. His eyes took on a mischievous look as he turned to the capped teen and said with a wink, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

* * *

**So yeah, I dig the Alpha Pair... a lot! Please review. I don't know if I'm gifted in writing romance or not! Also, I DO NOT HATE ATOBE! I love him very much but he just sort of wound up being the jock.**


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